Learning to Love
by Miss22
Summary: Draco has had a rough life. First the war, then an unhappy marriage followed by a long divorce. When he spots young Maeve at a party, he decides she is exactly the thing to heal his broken heart. Will it be a problem that Maeve has always had a crush on Scorpius? Draco/OC Pairing
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue -**

**Maeve's POV**

The first time I saw Scorpius Malfoy was on the train to Hogwarts when I was eleven.

I was sitting in a car near the middle of the train when I heard a commotions outside in the small train hallway.

The other people sitting in my car jumped up faster than and since most of them were bigger than me, I had to push through and then stand on my very tippy toes to see what was going on. I caught the fight in the middle of what was happening.

A tall boy with very dark hair was leaning over a shorter boy with bright blonde hair. The boy with the lighter hair was clearly younger, and by the look on the darker haired boys face, he was clearly out of his league in whatever trouble he had just gotten himself into.

The older boys voice came drifting down the hall first, "I don't have to ask you what your name is, you're obviously the _Malfoy_ boy."

That name sounded familiar to me. Had I met this blonde boy before?

"All I want is for you to apologize for what you said to her. That's it. I don't want to start a fight"

"I was just joking around with her, she's my cousin, she knows I don't mean it. I don't need the likes of you thinking you're some sort of hero! Right, Rose? Tell him you knew I was joking and you don't need his help. You're a Potter and you can hold your own."

A readheaded girl with giant curls came into view and stammered, "Well James, I am sort of tired of you making fun of me for reading all the time. He's right, it's not nice!"

The blonde boy raised his eyebrows, crossed his arms, and backed up as if daring "James" to challenge that statement.

James shook his head and said, "Just stay out of my way, Malfoy, and stay away from my cousin too".

Just like that he was gone.

Malfoy and Rose were left to face the crowd that was still watching them.

Rose spoke up to break the silence, "I'm Rose, sorry about my cousin. He thinks he has to defend the Potter name or something. He means well. Thanks for standing up for me though." She giggled.

The Malfoy boy answered "Anytime. It's Scorpius by the way."

She smiled at him and they began to walk towards a train car with room for the both of them while they talked about what house they would be sorted into.

As Scoripius Malfoy walked by me, I was enamored with him. I thought it was so incredible how he stood up for that girl! I wanted so dearly to be his friend.

That was the beginning of my life long crush on Scorpius Malfoy.

**Part One - A Girl on the Market**

My mother has been pushing me to get married since the day I was born. Always suggesting "good matches" and talking about boys who had excellent magical sperm. This may be the struggle of many witches, and I am no different. My mother is a pure blooded witch from Romania, and my father is a pure blooded wizard from Bulgaria.

We moved to England just before I turned 11 so my parents could be close while I attended school at Hogwarts.

When I got to Hogwarts I was certainly the New Girl. I was sorted into Ravenclaw and shared a dorm with the aforementioned Rose Weasley. I never really made many friends. I like to sit and read and generally be quiet, so I never was able to bond with my peers. That included Rose. We spent seven years sleeping in beds right next to one another, and yet we barely ever spoke.

She kind of respected that I am shy, and I respected that she was a social butterfly I couldn't keep up with. I did know though that she had the one thing I really wanted, Scorpius Malfoy. They got together in fifth year, and both hid it from their parents.

I wished I was her. I wished I was loud like her, I wished I had hair like hers, I wished I was fun like her. Most Importantly, I wished Scorpius would look at me like he looked at her.

Scorpius is beautiful. He did grow to be just a little taller than James with broad shoulders and pale skin that makes him look like he was carved out of a perfect stone instead of born into the world like the rest of us lowlifes. He has beautiful hair that falls just so over his forehead, and when he smiled it made my head spin.

But Rose Weasley had him. She always did have him, ever since that day on the train. But that didn't keep me from fantasizing about their break up and how Scorpius would run to me for advice (because were so close of course) and he would realize in the end that it was me he loved instead of her.

That day never happened though.

Since graduation, I have been sitting at home, learning to be a good wife, like any good pure blooded witch.

Well, it's not like Mother sat me down and said here are the things you need to learn, in so many words, but I am learning what is expected of me.

My mother says, "You are no longer a child, you need to learn the responsibilities of running a home."

So while the rest of my classmates are off finding new adventures like jobs and travel and all sorts of fun things, I sit at home and watch my mother do needlepoint and wish I were dead.

I would love to go and learn a new job or see new places of the world, but my mother would not have that. She keeps a very tight leash on me. I would say that sometimes I can't even breathe!

Today, gratefully, my mother has let me sleep in. I am enjoying those brilliant moments in bed where you're still slightly asleep but you can still think a little and the whole world seems beautifully hazy. These are the moments where you don't have a care in the world.

It doesn't last long. My mother comes in with a sing-song voice saying "Wake up darling, its time to face the day! I have some most excellent news!"

My mother doesn't fool me. I know that whatever her idea of excellent news is, isn't necessarily mine.

"You've been invited to a grand party tonight and I believe that many available wizards will be there, isn't that nice?"

I am not enthused. She knows not to wait for an excited response. She knows I won't give one.

"Well, get up then, you've slept half the day away! Time to get moving! Lots to do!"

Mother tries to make things sound more appealing by saying them in a cheerful way. That's one of the lessons of being a good wife.

Lesson: Be positive always. No one wants to come home from a long day at work to a downer.

I slide out of bed and mentally curse my mother. Then I put a smile on like she wants and face the day.

**Authors Note: Thanks for reading! This one might be sort of short, maybe around five chapters eventually (unless I get carried away, which I sometimes do!) I may later change the rating to M, because of content in the last chapter. But I haven't finished writing it yet, so I am unsure. So if you're offended by that sort of thing, this story may not be for you. Oh, and by the way the name is pronounced is Mave (Mayve), I just added the spelling because I felt like her parents would name her something kind of uppity. The next chapter will be Draco's POV!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two - A Girl with Blue Eyes**

**Draco's POV**

I hate coming to these events. Being here in this room full of happy witches and wizards who just want to dance the night away makes me want to hex someone. It's so hard to see all the young girls blush and flirt like they don't have a care in the world.

Look, Scorpius is dancing with a girl who is doing just that right now. The younger generation is so completely unblemished by the war. I am jealous of their carefree attitudes. I am jealous they didn't have to make the choices I did.

But in the end, since Scorpius is my son, and I love him, I am glad that he can have nights like this.

As for me, I have to find somewhere to get away from this. Maybe get some fresh air on the balcony. I sneak over to the open doors in the back.

I pop my head outside and see a couple engaged in a heated snogging session. Great, can't go out there.

I walk down a side hallway looking for an unoccupied room. It occurs to me that this is bad manners and my mother would probably pass out if she saw me sauntering through this persons house unattended.

Finally I see a door that is wide open. I walk inside and realize it is a library, and quite a large one for being in someones house.

I spot a big open window and gravitate towards in. The breeze feels so good on my skin and the dark night is much more soothing to me than th ebright lights in the great room.

"I see you are also avoiding the party", a voice came from behind me.

I quickly turn my head around to see a girl about Scorpius' age curled up in a big chair with a book on her lap. She is still looking at the book as if she couldn't care less whether I answer or not. She looks comfortable here in the library, cozy even. I am just thinking how her hair is a perfect honey colored shade when she looks up at me.

Her eyes are a very striking blue color, more unusual than I have ever seen. They are very dark, almost a purple color. It makes me wonder what kind of magic she has in her blood.

She raises her eyebrows at me. Oh, she is expecting an answer.

She beats me to it. "Well, if you're going to avoid the party, that's perfectly alright, but you've just blocked my breeze."

Huh? I must look dumbstruck because she clarifies. "I opened the window to feel the breeze over here and you just came and stood right in front of it."

Oh. I cant help but let out a chuckle. I hadn't even noticed her here. She must be very shy to stay away from the party. She doesn't seem very shy.

I decide to sit down in the chair opposite hers. She turns to face me and blinks those beautiful eyes.

I decide to speak for the first time. "What is your name?" Real smooth. But, hey, I am curious about this odd girl.

"Meave Alekseev. My father is Aleksandar Alekseev."

"I'm Draco Malfoy." I leave off my fathers name. I could be her father. Besides, anyone who looks at me can tell who my father is. Everyone knows the sins of my family. She seems unaffected.

"I figured. I was in the same year as Scorpius" She looks back down at her book. I am sad to no longer have her attention.

"Well, Maeve, an old man like me has an excuse to not want to dance, but _you_, you should be out there! Why are you hiding in the library?"

She looks back up at me. I feel a surge of pride that she is focused on me.

She bites her lip as if considering what to say to me.

"Well, my mother is trying to marry me off. She is completely smothering me and I can't take it! I have had enough for one night!"

I laugh again. Her incredulity is contagious. She obviously went with the truth. I am shocked she was so open with me.

She smiles and says "I'm glad you find that funny!", and then looks back down at her book.

I sit and think for a minute. Her parents are trying to marry her off, huh? Well that can't be so bad, they just want a secure future for her. She doesn't realize how much they love her, how invested they are in her.

I sit and watch her for a second. She is so quiet and reserved and is obviously well bred. I have heard of the Alekseevs from Bulgaria, they seem like the kind of family that would want to make a good match. She sits and reads and being around her is very comforting to me. It's almost as if I could fall into a blissful, dreamless sleep right now. I feel satisfied. I realize we cannot sit here forever like this.

She will go on and marry some guy with loads of money and be the wife she was always brought up to be and sit next to her husbands fireplace every night reading just like that while he appreciates how comfortable she is.

Wait. I have loads of money. I have a home. I am a secure future.

I am going to marry her.

Fortunately, she gave away the exact way to do that. All I have to do is talk to her parents.


End file.
